


Around the Bend

by exalteddean



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Mary, Bisexual Dean, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Charlie Bradbury & Dean Winchester Friendship, Coming Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Supportive Chuck, dean is 15, sam is 11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-13 05:55:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4510371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exalteddean/pseuds/exalteddean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now complete!</p><p>Fifteen year-old Dean is outed as bisexual to his father, who promptly kicks him out of the house. Thinking that none of his family members want anything to do with him, he really hopes that he can turn to his best friend Cas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Dean’s POV**

Dinner was quiet. Their father wasn’t quite as talkative as their mother was. On the rare occasions she got to be there for dinner, she was always asking how everyone’s day went and making cheerful conversation. But the life of an ER nurse is a busy one. Mary wouldn’t be home for another few hours at least, leaving Sam and Dean to make conversation with their father. Around him it was best to keep the focus on light subjects, like football or Al Pacino movies. When everyone was done eating, John retreated to his recliner in front of the TV. Dean sighed and began clearing plates and filling the dishwasher.

_Ding!_

He heard Sam shout, “Dean, your phone!” over the sound of the running water. Dean turned in time to see Sam pick up his brother’s forgotten phone from the kitchen table and glance down at it. “You have a text from ‘Charlie GSA.’ What’s GSA stand for?”

Dean turned the faucet off and walked briskly back to the table, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “Nothing. Give me that.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? It stands for nothing?” he teased, holding the phone behind himself, just out of Dean’s reach. “Maybe I’ll just read the text and find out myself,” he taunted.

Dean’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. “N-no. Give it to me, Sam.”

Sam shot his big brother a cheeky grin and looked down at the phone still in his hands. The second he opened his mouth and began reading the text aloud, Dean’s blood ran cold.

“Hey Dean, glad you came to the meeting today! Hope to see you around more often—we’ve been sorely lacking in the ‘B’ department of LGBT!” Sam frowned to himself as he finished reading the text. “Wait…” Sam mumbled, staring at the phone in obvious confusion.

Dean closed his eyes and swallowed hard, desperately hoping that their father hadn’t overheard.

There was silence for a moment. Dean held his breath, refusing to let the moment pass. _That did not just happen. That did_ not _just happen_.

The squeak of leather from the other room got Dean’s heart racing. By the time he opened his eyes, his father was stepping back into the kitchen.

“What did I just _obviously_ mishear?” John threatened, fixing his glare on Dean.

Unable to speak, Dean stared back at his father, eyes wide and mouth agape.

“Dean. Answer me.” John narrowed his eyes, daring his son to lie to him.

“Um. I—I went to a GSA meeting,” Dean choked out, looking down at his shoes.

“As in, Gay/Straight Alliance?”

Dean nodded jerkily, not glancing up.

“So basically, you decided to go hang out with these freaks, and you went around, running your fucking _mouth_ , telling them that you’re what— _bisexual_? Claiming you like boys?” Dean flinched at the absolute disgust in his father’s voice. “‘ _Oh I’m Dean and don’t let the fact that I’ve dated girls mislead you, I’m still a fucking fairy cocksucker!!_ ’”

Dean’s hands began to shake. Still he didn’t look up; didn’t make a sound.

“I did not raise you to be a faggot, Dean Winchester.”

“Dad, he—”

“Quiet, Sam. Go to your room.”

Sam glanced nervously between Dean and John.

“Go!”

Sam threw a pleading, apologetic look at Dean and rushed up the stairs.

Finally, Dean chanced a glance back up at John.

He was staring him down, arms crossed. When he spoke, the words came out dangerously calm. “You have 30 minutes to get out of this house. Don’t come back until you’ve learned to squash this gay shit and go back to normal.”

Dean stood frozen for a brief minute. He expected the rejection and the harsh words; he didn’t expect his parents to outright disown him at just fifteen. Then he was stumbling backwards, away from his father and towards the door. His thoughts flickered briefly to Sammy waiting for him upstairs, his mother returning from work in a few hours, his phone sitting on the table. But he couldn’t bring himself to walk past his father to pack a bag or say goodbye. Sheer fear was driving him out of the house at this point. Abruptly, he turned and walked out the front door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's inner monologue at the beginning may seem a bit childish and underwritten; that's because it's supposed to be from the point of view of an 11 year old :)

**Sam’s POV**

 

Upstairs, Sam was pacing. His mind kept replaying the tense moments in the kitchen. His father wouldn’t hurt Dean, would he? He wasn’t the nicest dad in the world, but he’d never actually hit one of them. He paused. At least not that he knows of. Oh god, what if their dad hits Dean? It would be all Sam’s fault. _He’s_ the one who took his brother’s phone, _he’s_ the one who read the stupid text out loud, _he’s_ the one who accidentally outed his big brother to their homophobic dad. He didn’t even get the words out to try to defend Dean! He’d shriveled up the second their dad had told him to go upstairs, like the coward he was. And now, because he couldn’t stand up to his own father, Dean was going to pay for it.

No. He had to go back down and help him. He needs to be brave. Dean would do it for him.

Sam started walking slowly down the stairs, listening intently for sounds of arguing or movement. There was nothing. Just soft murmuring from the TV left on. Confused, Sam descended the rest of the stairs into the living room.

And there was John. Just sitting on his recliner, watching TV like nothing happened. Sam didn’t understand. What the hell? Did they not have a fight?

“…Dad? Where’s Dean?”

John set his beer down and turned to look at his youngest son. He sighed. “Sam, your brother had to leave for a while. He’s confused and he needs to sort himself out.”

“What? Where did he go?” Sam’s initial confusion grew into worry and then fear.

“He’s just…out, Sammy, okay? I’m sure you’ll see him again when he gets his shit together.”

Not understanding, Sam assumed his fears had been correct. _“Did you hit him?”_

John set the bottle back down on the coffee table with more force than necessary. “No! I just told him that he needed to leave. We can’t tolerate that sort of nonsense in this house, Samuel, you understand?”

Sam’s jaw dropped open in shock. “No, I _don’t_ understand! You just told him to leave? Where could he go? What is he gonna do? Why can’t you just let him stay?”

At the barrage of shouted questions, John stood up, drawing himself to full height and towering over Sam, causing the eleven-year-old’s mouth to snap shut.

“Sam. When you live under my roof, you live by my rules. Now, I don’t want to hear another word about this. Go up to your room, and don’t come back down until your mother gets home.” At the mention of his mother, Sam’s frustration lessened. His mom would never let John get away with this. Relieved that everything would eventually, _hopefully_ , be okay, Sam ran back upstairs and crossed his fingers that she’d be home soon.

 

**Dean’s POV**

Dean pulled his jacket tighter around himself. He’d started walking determinedly as soon as he left the house, as if he had somewhere to go. By now though, he’s walked about a mile and he was getting tired. The shock and anger had dissipated and the weight of what happened was just starting to hit him. By some crazy fluke, he’d been outed and kicked out of his parent’s house, all within about ten minutes. Dean felt his chest constrict and breathing became more difficult. He couldn’t believe this happened. It wasn’t like the rejection was surprising; his father was a known homophobic asshole. He’d never been afraid to tell his sons to stay away from anyone gay, or to openly insult gay people to their face, using harsh curse words in front of his own children. And supposedly _they_ were the perverse ones. Obviously when he’d realized his own sexuality (a flashing pink, purple, and blue sign in the form of his devastatingly attractive best friend, Castiel Novak), he’d vowed not to mention anything to his family until he was over 18 and out of the house. He knew he’d need to be able to support himself if they disowned him. Although, he had always hoped that his mother would step in on his behalf.

Dean felt his heart sink as he thought of Mary. She had always been the one to scold John if he got too tough on the boys. Hell, Dean could think of times when John had made homophobic comments and Mary had silenced him with a glare. It usually worked, and it had always given Dean hope that he could still remain in contact with his family once he came out. But now Dean could pretty much give up on that fantasy. John may be a hardass, but he always kept himself in check around Mary. He wouldn’t have done anything as bold as toss his underage son out onto the street if he didn’t think she would support him. No, Dean was pretty sure that none of them, including his mother, would want anything to do with him now. God, he was gonna fucking miss Sam. Bringing a hand up to rub his face, Dean felt wetness and realized he’d been crying. He was getting tired. Tired of walking, tired of thinking about this horrible day. He just wanted to find someplace to sleep for the night, before he had to start really thinking about what he would do, how he could live.

He patted his pockets. All he had taken with him were the clothes he was wearing, which thankfully included a jacket and shoes, and the wallet in his back pocket. The wallet wasn’t very helpful. He was only fifteen; he didn’t have a driver’s license or any credit cards. All he had was twenty dollars in cash. He shook his head. That wasn’t going to get him anywhere.

Dean stopped and contemplated where he could go without any money. He couldn’t afford a motel room—not like they’d rent to him anyway, being a minor and all. He wondered if he could stay at a friend’s house for the night. It was a school night, but if he explained himself, surely they would take pity on him, for just one night? Or would they be disgusted and kick him out as well? Dean hung his head. He had to at least try. Sleeping on the fucking street was going to be his absolute last resort. He knew which friend would cheer him up the most. He made a right at the next streetlight and began the half-mile walk to Castiel’s house.


	3. Chapter 3

It took three deep breaths and five minutes of wringing his hands before Dean got the courage to knock on the Novaks' front door. Almost immediately, Castiel’s older brother, Gabriel, opened it.

“Dean-o! To what do we owe this fine honor?”

Dean cleared his throat and gathered some courage. “Um. Actually, can I talk to your dad?”

Gabriel quirked his brow, but simply stood back and said, “He’s in the kitchen.”

Dean stepped into the house much more tentatively than usual. If Gabriel noticed his odd behavior, he didn’t mention it. When he reached the kitchen, he found Castiel's father, Chuck, sitting at the breakfast table sipping a cup of tea and reading. At the sound of footsteps he glanced up, and gave Dean a warm smile.

“Hi there Dean, how are you?”

At the simplicity of Chuck’s warm demeanor, Dean broke down into sobs.

Alarmed, Chuck immediately got up and put his arm around Dean. “Hey, hey, shhh it’s okay. Everything is going to be fine. What happened?”

Dean spilled out the story, coming out to someone on his own for the second time, after Charlie. When Chuck’s encouraging smile didn’t waver after announcing his bisexuality, he described how differently his own father reacted. Chuck stiffened when he heard that Dean had been kicked out, his smile fading into a deep frown. He took Dean by the shoulders.

“Dean. I am so sorry this happened. But I am absolutely positive that the minute your mother gets home after work, she will be on her way over here to retrieve you. Okay? You are more than welcome to stay here as long as you need, but she’ll come for you. I’m sure of it.”

Dean nodded absently, wanting to believe Chuck’s assurances but unable to. For the moment, all that mattered was that he had somewhere to sleep tonight.

“Why don’t you go wash your face and then go find Castiel? He can pull out that mattress under his bed for you.”

Dean nodded again, mumbling a weak “Thank you” before going to the bathroom. Dean splashed water on his face and contemplated his next move. He would have to explain to Cas why he was here, which would mean he would need to come out to his best friend. Dean sighed. It looked like everyone would be finding out his dirty secrets today. He only hoped Cas would take it as well as Chuck did.

Once he no longer looked like he’d been crying his eyes out, he headed upstairs to find Cas. The door to his bedroom was open; Dean paused at the doorframe and knocked. Cas glanced up from the book he was reading on his bed.

“Dean! What are you doing here?” He got up and greeted Dean at the door.

“I, uh. I gotta tell you something, Cas.”

Cas squinted at him. “What’s up?”

“Well…” Dean rubbed his hand over his face and let out a nervous chuckle. It quickly turned into a fit of ridiculous anxious giggling and he needed to stop because this was getting thoroughly embarrassing. He tried to sound as serious as possible when he admitted, “I’m bi.”

Castiel stiffened and furrowed his brow. “Did Gabriel put you up to this?”

“Um. No?” Dean tilted his head, unsure what Castiel was talking about.

“He _did_ , didn’t he? I _cannot believe_ this! I knew, I _knew_ when he found out about me he would tell you! And he’s all ‘Oh, Cassie, you’re my baby brother, I wouldn’t do that to you.’ Ha! What a liar! Couldn’t even fucking resist pulling a stupid prank about it!”

Dean was seriously confused now. “Cas, I don’t know what—”

Castiel rounded on him. “And you! I was always so terrified to tell you, but I never thought you’d go and pull this crap!”

“Tell me what?”

“Oh, I’m sure if you rack your underused brain, you’ll figure it out.”

“Cas, I—”

“I don’t want to hear it. Just go.”

“Cas, you can’t be serious—just listen to me, buddy, I—”

“No, Dean! I don’t care what you’re going to say! You can’t come over to _my_ house and team up with my trickster older brother to pull a stupid, _hurtful_ prank on me! If you’re going to be like that, then just leave!” Castiel slammed his bedroom door.

Dean stood in front of Castiel’s closed door, blinking back tears for a full minute, trying to understand what the hell just happened. He didn’t know what he did to hurt Cas, but either way, it sounded like Dean being bi came across as a big joke to him. Which…hurt. Maybe there was something he was missing, but in any case, Cas clearly didn’t want Dean around him tonight. Before he could start sobing in the hallway, Dean rushed quietly down the stairs and out the front door, making sure he wasn’t seen along the way.

Dean sat down on the sidewalk in the park down the street from Castiel’s neighborhood. He was contemplating actually sleeping on a park bench. He bitterly imagined smug looks on all the faces of his friends and family if they were to find him like that. Dean let out another sob at the thought that neither his family or friends could stand him right now. He desperately tried to think of anyone he knew who might understand and be willing to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cringe*
> 
> Misunderstandings are the worst.


	4. Chapter 4

**Castiel’s POV**

            Cas paced his room angrily. He could _not_ believe that Dean would pull this shit. He was supposed to be his best friend! And Gabriel, _god_ he wanted to wring Gabriel’s neck right now. He had _promised_ that he wouldn’t say anything to Dean! Just last month Cas had come out to his big brother, quietly admitting that he was gay and in love with his best friend. Gabriel had been so nice and supportive then…and to think that he’d been planning this cruel prank with Dean! How could they do this to him? How could they even think this would be funny or in any way okay? They clearly just see Castiel and his very _real_ , very _hard to admit_ feelings as some big joke. Dean hadn’t even been able to keep a straight face through his stupid lie! Cas threw his book across the room. It landed with a small, unsatisfying thump. He squeezed his eyes closed and willed the tears not to come.

            A loud knock at his door shook him from his thoughts. “Castiel! Can I speak to Dean for a minute?”

            Cas rolled his eyes. His father sounded unusually cheerful. He swung open his door a little harder than necessary. “Dean’s not here right now,” he sneered.

            Chuck faltered. “What do you mean, he’s not here? Where is he?”

            “I don’t know! I’m not his keeper!”

            Chuck narrowed his eyes and covered the mouthpiece of the phone that Castiel just noticed he was holding. “Castiel, why would he leave? He had nowhere else to go.”

            Castiel paused at the concern in his father’s voice. “What do you mean?”

            Chuck sighed deeply and held the phone up to his ear. “Mary, he’s actually not here right now. I’m not sure where he went, but we’ll find him. Why don’t you and Sam come over and we’ll all go look for him?” He paused. “Okay, good. I’ll see you soon. It’s going to be fine, Mary. I promise. He’s going to be fine.”

            Chuck hung up the phone and fixed his son with a glare.

            Before he could say anything, Cas cut in, “What’s going on? Why are Mary and Sam coming over? Did Dean…” he swallowed. “Did he not make it home?”

            Chuck ran a hand through his hair. “He didn’t tell you why he was here, did he?”

            Cas shook his head. “We, uh…didn’t really get around to it. We might’ve had a small fight.”

            “It’s not really my place to tell you why, Castiel, but I will tell you that Dean’s father kicked him out of the house this evening and told him not to come back. Dean came here with nothing but the clothes on his back, needing a place to stay.”

            Castiel was shocked. “Dean got _kicked out_?”

            Cas’s jaw dropped at the solemn nod from his father. Suddenly, a realization hit Cas that almost brought him to his knees. “Did this—” He forced himself to choke out the words. “Did this have anything to do with his sexuality?”

            Chuck’s eyebrows raised briefly. “So he did tell you?”

            Cas felt ice in his veins. That was it, then. There was no way his father would joke about something like this. Dean hadn’t been playing a cruel joke on him. Dean had tried to come out to him, after being renounced by his own family, and he’d _slammed the door in his face_ in response. He was going to puke.

            Chuck reached forward and gripped Castiel’s arms as he slumped over in the doorway. “Castiel! Are you alright?”

            “Dad. I’m a horrible excuse for a best friend. Hell, a horrible excuse for a human being.”

            Chuck sighed and knelt down in front of him. “Castiel, tell me what happened.”

            Cas began to relay the story and his huge misunderstanding. He steeled himself, looked his father in the eye, and admitted that he was in love with Dean, and that after the way he treated him, Cas was afraid he had irreparably hurt him.

            Chuck pulled Cas into a hug. “Castiel, you are not a horrible best friend or a horrible person by any means. So you made a mistake and said some things you didn’t mean because you thought you were protecting yourself. These things happen sometimes, and it’s never easy. But we will find Dean, and you can explain everything. I know he’ll forgive you, and it’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.” Chuck was losing track of how many times he’d had to say that tonight.

            As Chuck went down the hall to explain to Gabriel what was going on, Cas sank down onto his bed. He stared at the black screen of his phone for a few seconds before unlocking it and finding Dean’s name in his contacts. He was pretty sure he wasn’t going to answer, but he had to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a bit short, but I think it'll make sense with the next chapter. Still gotta see what happened when Mary came home!
> 
> Anyway, at least now you know what was going on in Castiel's head during their fight!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Events in this chapter occur at the same time as events in the previous chapter.

**Sam’s POV**

            Sam hid in his room, sitting on top of his bed and staring intently at the door. He chewed his nails and strained his ears, listening for car doors, footsteps, whispering, anything to indicate his mom might be home. He had no idea how long he’d been sitting like that, but he couldn’t think about anything else.

            Finally, finally, Sam heard the muffled sound of a door closing and jingling keys being placed on a hook. He didn’t wait for the ‘Boys, I’m home!’ that usually rang cheerfully throughout the house before running downstairs. When he skidded to a stop in front of Mary and John, who was taking her coat, she smiled wearily at him.

            “Honey, what are you still doing up?”

            “Dad kicked Dean out of the house!”

            A moment of absolute stillness followed. John froze, lifting the coat onto the rack, eyes narrowed towards Sam. Sam hunched his shoulders and ducked his head, but maintained eye contact with his mother, willing her to act. Mary’s warm expression turned into one of cold shock as she stared back at Sam. Slowly, she turned to face John.

            In a calm, low voice, she asked him, “What did he just say?”

            John threw another _I’ll deal with you later_ glare at Sam before turning to his wife with a determined look. “Dean said he was _bisexual_ , Mary. He went to a _GSA_ meeting. I just let him know that we don’t tolerate that”—he glanced at Sam again—“ _nonsense_ in our house, and that he could come back when he was back to normal.” He finished his little speech with a pointed nod.

            Mary’s demeanor didn’t change. “I see, and how did this information come about? Did he tell you?”

            “Sam read one of Dean’s texts out loud.”

            Sam cringed. “I didn’t mean to…” he mumbled weakly.

            Mary let out a long breath. Her nostrils flared and she fixed John with a glare so hard and full of rage that Sam quickly stepped back, suddenly afraid of explosive fallout.

            “John Winchester, you son of a _bitch_. You threw our _fifteen-year-old son_ out on the _street_?! How _DARE YOU? WHAT KIND OF A FATHER ARE YOU?_ ”

            “M-Mary, he’s—”

            “I DON’T CARE WHAT HE IS, HE IS FIRST AND FOREMOST _MY SON_. I LOVE HIM _UNCONDITIONALLY_. BUT _YOU!_ YOU TOSSED HIM ASIDE LIKE GARBAGE! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

            Mary was shaking at this point, fists clenching at her sides. John’s eyes widened and he took a small step back.

            “Mary, I—”

            “No! You don’t get to talk! You should be absolutely _ashamed_ of yourself! You know how I feel about your fucked up little homophobic comments, but still I _never imagined_ it would reach this level of _barbarity_! I have never been so _disgusted_ with anyone as I am with you right now.”

            Mary took a deep breath, closing her eyes and unclenching her fists. John continued to stare at her, shell-shocked.

            “Now,” Mary started again, “I am going to find Dean and bring him home. I am going to tell him that I love him, that my home will _always_ be his home, and that all I care about is his safety and happiness. If you cannot _accept_ that, then I suggest you not be here when I return.”

            “ _Mary!_ ”

            “Do not make me choose between my children and anyone else, John Winchester,” she spat. “They will win. Even against you.” With that, turned away from him and knelt down by Sam, who hoped he didn’t look as terrified as he felt.

            “Honey, it’s okay. We’re gonna bring Dean home, okay?”

            Sam sniffed and nodded, clutching onto his mother’s scrubs. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Just as Sam was crossing his fingers that Dean would even answer his phone, _Ramble On_ started blaring from the kitchen. Sam crumpled when he realized Dean must have left his phone on the kitchen table. How were they going to find him now?

            His mother sighed and ended the call. “Well, I didn’t expect him to answer anyway. I’ll call Chuck. I’d bet money that that’s the first place he would have gone. We’ll find him, Sam. Don’t worry.”

            Sam couldn’t help but wonder whether she was trying to reassure him or herself. He listened to Mary’s side of the conversation with Chuck. It was a bit confusing to him. She seemed pretty relieved after asking if he’d seen Dean, but then she listened for a little longer and started looking more worried than ever. _Is Dean over there or not?_ Finally she spoke again.

            “Okay, yeah. I guess that’s our only option at this point. I don’t know where else he would go, I don’t know of anybody else to call.” Her voice broke on the last word. She paused. “Okay, we’ll be right there. Thank you, Chuck.”

Mary ended the call and continued to stare down at her phone. Without turning away from it, she whispered, “He’s not there. He’s missing. They…they don’t know where he is.”

Worry flooded Sam when he heard the panic in her voice.

“Sam, get your shoes,” she rasped. “We’re going over to the Novaks’ and we’re all going to go look for him.”

Turning once more to face John, who hadn’t moved from his shocked state in the last few minutes, Mary threatened in a low voice, “He’d better be okay, John. You’d better hope that nothing’s happened to him out there, that we find him soon.”

            John swallowed audibly. “Of course I don’t want anything to happen to him,” he mumbled.

He received nothing but glares in response.

“Oh my god!” Sam exclaimed, running to retrieve Dean’s phone from the table. “ _Charlie GSA_ , Dean’s friend from that club! Maybe Dean would go to him?”

            He heard his mother’s sharp intake of breath behind him and turned to see her eyes lit up in hope. Quickly, he swiped the screen to open the phone. Immediately, a passcode keypad was presented. Sam’s shoulders slumped.

            “It’s locked,” he said quietly. He immediately tried Dean’s birthday, his birthday, and their mother’s birthday. No luck. He jumped when _Ramble On_ burst out of the speaker, and Cas’s cheeky grin lit up the screen.

“It’s Cas!” He swiped the answer button.

“Cas! Is Dean with you?”

A pause and a sigh. “No, he isn’t. I was hoping to reach him here, actually. I guess he doesn’t have his phone with him, then.”

“Oh. Right. Obviously if you were with him you wouldn’t be calling his phone. Duh.” Sam slumped into a chair at the table.

“So you and your mother are coming over, right? Do you,” he sniffed once and cleared his throat. “Do you have any idea where we might be able to find Dean?”

“Well we were hoping we could get in touch with Dean’s friend Charlie. Apparently he’s in GSA? He texted Dean earlier today about it.” Sam inhaled deeply and continued. “Anyway, no dice, Dean’s phone’s locked.”

“Did you try everyone’s birthdays?”

“Yep.”

“What about…0918?”

Sam tried it. At the touch of the 8 button, he was greeted with Dean’s home screen. “It worked! I’m in! What even was that?”

Cas cleared his throat again. “It’s, um. My birthday.”

Sam grinned. His mother rushed across the room and gripped Sam’s shoulder. “Hey Cas, I gotta try to call Charlie. We’ll let you know if we find out anything.”

“Please do. Thank you, Sam.”

He pressed the red _end call_ button and immediately searched for Charlie in the contacts, his mother’s quick breath over his shoulder.

When he found it, he glanced up at her with excitement. “It’s ringing!”

“Shhh!” She pressed her ear to his, eager for information.

            It rang twice before a cheerful girl’s voice answered, “Hi! You’ve reached Charlie! You know what to do!”

            BEEP.

            Sam ended the call and lowered the phone. Mary sank down in the chair next to him and put her head in her hands.

            A muffled “Come on, let’s head to the Novaks’” came from behind her hands, but she didn’t make a move to get up.

            Sam looked at her sadly and looked back at his father, who was in a similar position, crouched on the floor next to the front door. He turned back to the phone, determined.

 

 _Sent to_ Charlie GSA _11:14pm_ : Hi Charlie this is Dean’s brother Sam

 _Sent to_ Charlie GSA _11:14pm_ : Our dad kicked him out of the house earlier today but my mom and I are trying to find him and bring him back

 _Sent to_ Charlie GSA _11:15pm_ : She’s not gonna let dad hurt him. She even threatened to kick my dad out if he didn't support Dean!

 _Sent to_ Charlie GSA _11:15pm_ : We really need to find him. We’re really scared. He doesn’t have his phone on him obviously but if you hear anything please please let us know

 

 _Text message received from_ Charlie GSA _11:16pm_ : Ok thank god. He’s here.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is finally here! Thanks for sticking with it! I love and appreciate your comments, they keep me going :)

**Dean’s POV**

            Thank god for Charlie. If she hadn’t given a big speech about openness and acceptance their first GSA meeting, if she hadn’t taken the time to make sure everyone knew that they could always come to her for help or advice or anything else, if she hadn’t made sure everyone got her phone number and home address…well, Dean didn’t really want to think where he’d be right now. As it was, Dean had decided to take her up on her offer. If it was still on the table, that is.

It took Dean a lot more time and a lot more desperate courage to knock on Charlie’s door than it had Cas’s. For starters, he and Charlie had only met a week ago. They were acquaintances at best. It’s not exactly commonplace to go around asking your week-long acquaintances for room and board. And then there was the fact that offers like this typically weren’t the most genuine. Anyone could clap someone on the back, give a smile and offer, “Hey buddy, stop by anytime,” but then end up shocked and confused when that person actually shows up on their doorstep. On the other hand, he was fairly positive at this point that out of _everyone_ he knew, Charlie would be the most understanding of his situation. He desperately held on to that last thought has he raised a shaky fist to the door.

            Charlie had been understandably surprised to see him, but she didn’t seem at all bothered by his presence. Already she was a significant improvement on previous housemates. When he told her everything, managing to keep dry eyes only through sheer emotional exhaustion, she immediately pulled him into a crushing hug and offered her couch. Dean couldn’t thank her enough. Really. She got to the point of rolling her eyes and punching his arm with a sarcastic, “Dean, if you say thank you one more time, you’re sleeping in the closet.”

            After half an hour of Dean trying to stay as quiet and out of the way as possible, fidgeting and shaking, Charlie sighed and pushed him into the living room with a bowl of ice cream and a Doctor Who boxset. Finally, he allowed himself to relax a bit. He was grateful that Charlie wasn’t pressing him for details. He knew she must be curious about what had happened with Cas, or what his plans were for finishing school, but she remained silent, listening intently to any information offered up, but not pushing for more than he was willing to give. He just couldn’t talk about it anymore. Doctor Who was just barely able to keep his mind focused on pleasant things for the time being, and he wasn’t willing to let go of that yet.

            Charlie’s phone rang, and she went to retrieve it. He watched her frown when she looked at the caller ID and glance up at Dean. Upon meeting his eyes, she threw him a quick small smile and declined the call.

            “You know, you could have answered that,” Dean shrugged. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to treat me like some special guest or anything. Hopefully I’ll find something a bit more permanent tomorrow.”

Wow, that was a blatant lie. What was he gonna do, just call up some long-lost nearby relative and live with them? Dean’s stomach churned and he put down the ice cream. He just…wouldn’t think about that right now.

“Oh, it’s fine! Wrong number, I think.” She paused. “You said you left your phone at your parents’, right?”

He nodded. She frowned a little more at his answer, but she turned back toward the TV, apparently deciding it wasn’t important.

Suddenly her text tone went off about four times in a rapid succession.

“Wow, someone really wants to get a hold of you, huh?”

Charlie stared at him for a long moment. “Um. It’s just some people from my LARP group. We’re thinking of getting together soon.”

            “Fun.”

            “…yeah.”

            They watched TV in silence for another half hour before a soft knock at the door roused them. Dean quirked an eyebrow. Who else would be coming to see Charlie this late at night?

            Charlie got up without hesitation, strode to the door, and stood up on her toes to peer through the peephole. Before opening the door, she turned back to Dean. “I just want you to know that whatever happens, I am still here for you and you are still welcome to stay here as long as you need. Okay?”

            Her statement only served to confuse Dean further. “Charlie. What?”

            “Just say okay,” Charlie pleaded.

            “Oh…kay?” Dean replied, bewildered.

            When Charlie opened the door, Dean’s eyes widened and he jumped from his seat. On the front porch stood Mary, Sam, Cas, and Chuck, with expressions ranging from relieved to worried to guilty. Dean took a step back, tripping over the coffee table.

            “Wh…what are you guys going here?” He looked to Mary, eyes glistening. “Mom?”

            She carefully stepped into the house, as if she was afraid that one misstep would send him sprinting the other direction. “Dean, honey, please listen to us.”

            He stared back at her, his arm reaching out to grab the back of the couch for support. Charlie quietly ushered in the others and retreated to the kitchen.

            Mary took a breath and started again. “Dean, you have to understand, none of us wanted you to leave. I know you’re scared, and I know we have some explaining to do, but honey, all we want to do is bring you home. We love you.”

            Dean kept his eyes trained on his mother, though he desperately tried to read Cas’s expression out of his periphery. He tried to push aside thoughts about why Cas was here, or whether Cas really meant what he said earlier, in favor of focusing on his mother. If there was any chance of getting his family back, he’d do whatever he could.

            “What about dad? Didn’t he tell you…about earlier?”

            Mary’s expression darkened. “I’ll tell you exactly what I told your father when I got home tonight. You are my son, and I love you unconditionally. Nothing means more to me than your safety and your happiness. I don’t care about your sexual orientation. I don’t care who you want to date or be with. I promise you that no matter what you do in your life, if you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

            Dean crumpled. Mary reached forward to catch him and he slumped against her. He didn’t care about the wetness spreading across her shoulder as he mumbled, “You told dad all this?”

            He felt her nod, her cheek pressed against the top of his head. “I made sure he knew that if he couldn’t accept you, then he would be the one that had to leave. Not you.” She kissed the top of his head. “Never you.”

            “So. What, uh. What happened?” Dean swallowed, afraid of the answer.

            Sam, who had apparently creeped forward without Dean’s notice and was now kneeling in front of him, explained, “He looked all surprised and stuff but he didn’t leave. He actually looked really sad when we left.” Sam looked down at his shoes. “I hope he’s still there. I hope when we go back he’s there and he says sorry and then everything’s okay. You _are_ gonna come back with us, right Dean?”

            Dean pulled out of his mother’s hug. He took a long look at his little brother and then at Mary. They both seemed to be silently pleading with him, sporting twin expressions of concern. He wanted to immediately say yes, to jump up and hug his brother and his best friend and skip happily on home to hot chocolate and Sunday dinners and the rest of his childhood. But he was terrified. Just a few minutes ago he thought his whole family had abandoned him, that he might not even get to speak with them again. It seemed too surreal to suddenly be welcomed back like nothing was wrong.

            “What if dad doesn’t want me there?”

            Warm hands cupped his chin and turned his face towards Mary’s. “Dean. I will not let your father hurt you in any way. The deal was he accepts you completely or he leaves. I will not stand for him talking down to you or belittling you for any of this. I’ll admit that it won’t be easy, but I’m going to make damned sure that he either adapts very quickly or that he gets out of the way. Please trust me, Dean. I love you. I want you home.”

            Dean gave a watery half-smile and a small nod.

            “YAY!” Sam pulled Dean into the kind of bone-crushing hug that only little brothers can accomplish. They both promptly went crashing to the ground. Chuck walked over and helped Mary lift both boys to their feet. As Dean brushed himself off, Chuck squeezed his shoulder and smiled warmly down at him. Dean smiled weakly back at him and then glanced past him to the entryway, where Cas was still standing, somewhat awkwardly. When their eyes met, Cas hastily stepped forward into Dean’s personal space. He lifted his arm towards Dean like he was going to grab his arm or his hand, but apparently changed his mind and dropped it. He looked up at the adults, who had stepped away to thank Charlie for her hospitality and her kindness, before speaking.

            “Dean, I’m so sorry. You have no idea.”

            Dean observed his shoes.

            “You have to understand—I thought you were playing a prank on me! A really horrible prank and I just got so upset and hurt and I lashed out at you, and you have to know that I didn’t mean any of it! Really, Dean, I just—”

            “You thought I was pranking you?” Dean asked incredulously.

            Cas rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, uh…I guess you need to know that I came out too. Last month. Just to Gabriel. I told him…well, I told him that I might be gay and a little in love with you.”

            Dean seemed to be doing a lot of staring lately.

            Cas rushed to fill the silence. “You see, that’s why I thought you were pranking me! Because Gabe is kind of a trickster, and I know he normally doesn’t take it quite that far, but it just seemed so crazy to me that you would come out too, because what are the chances that the boy I like also likes boys?! I mean…it just didn’t seem real. I guess.”

            A slow grin spread across Dean’s face. “Cas...” he chuckled. “I might be a little in love with you too.”

            Cas’s eyes bulged. “Um. You…”

            “And yes, I’m dead serious. You’re the reason I figured out I was into dudes in the first place.”

            A little pinkness spread across Castiel’s cheeks as he grinned back.

 

***

 

            It wasn’t totally easy. Mary and Sam brought Dean home, where he was terrified to go inside and face his father. When he finally did, John grunted out an short, overly masculine “You’re my son and I’m going to try” speech. He even gave a short apology for the things he’d said in the first place after a hard glare from Mary. And to his credit, he did try. Gone were the homophobic slurs and the looks of disgust. His and Dean’s relationship might be tense for quite a while, but they’ll eventually come to an understanding. Eventually Dean won’t be afraid of his father anymore, and eventually John will learn to be more open and interact more positively with his boys.

            Dean and Cas decided to keep their relationship a secret from anyone but their families (and their new best friend Charlie) until after high school. They just couldn’t take another experience like that anytime soon. But the sneaking around and private conversations and late-night talks were probably the reason for the depth at which their relationship evolved. At just 18 and freshmen at KU together, they were more in love and more connected than most married adults. Cas didn’t know it, but Dean was already planning that step. That little silver band hid in Dean’s sock drawer for two years. College flew by, though, and two nights after graduation, Dean couldn’t take it anymore. He clumsily fell to his knees and thrust the ring into Cas’s hand and stuttered out the question. Castiel’s answering smile could not have been any brighter.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr! [exalteddean.tumblr.com](http://exalteddean.tumblr.com)
> 
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> [Reblog this story from my original tumblr post here!](http://exalteddean.tumblr.com/post/125986940452/around-the-bend-chapter-1)


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